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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Egypt Can Dismiss Professors for Political Activities Under New Decree

The Chronicle of Higher EducationJanuary19th, 2015

University professors in Egypt can be dismissed for participating in
on-campus political-party activities under a decree issued last week by
the country’s president, Daily News Egypt
reports. The decree, which amends a law that regulates university
affairs, also allows professors to be dismissed for participating in
violence or riots on campuses, or for bringing to a university facility
any weapons, explosives, or other materials that can cause harm.
Hany El-Hosseiny, a professor at Cairo University, said the new amendments were the latest in a series of moves
by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that treat
universities as “a security threat.” Two main problems with the
amendments, he said, are that they penalize “acts that are hard to
define and identify” and that they criminalize “things that should be
allowed.”
“Teaching staff members have the right to participate in political
parties’ activities in their workplace just as any citizen,” Mr.
El-Hosseiny said.